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Engaging Minds, Broadening Horizons

Attendance

School Attendance and Punctuality

At Seaham High School we are committed to ensuring that all students can fulfil their potential.

We ask parents and carers to ensure that their child is at school every day on time to support us in achieving our commitment.

We expect students to have good attendance above the national average and in line with the government and school targets.

The government and school target is a minimum of 96% attendance every school year. 100% attendance is even better and has a genuine impact upon results at GCSE and beyond.

We are proud that the majority of students meet the targets.

What we ask of parents and carers:

  • to follow the legal requirements and ensure your child receives suitable full-time education by attending school. Failure to do so can lead to a penalty notice or prosecution.
  • to follow the government and school requirement for a minimum of 96% attendance in a school year.
  • to contact the school before 8.30 a.m if your child is too ill to attend and keep the school informed if the absence continues. A child should not be well enough to leave the house if he or she is too ill to come to school (apart from medical appointments).
  • to contact the school as soon as possible if there are any issues that may affect a student’s attendance: Please keep us informed before issues become more serious.
  • to ensure students arrive at school on time. (after 0845 a late mark and detention will be given)
To report an absence
telephone 0191 5161600 – choose Option 1.

School will:

  • work with parents and students to support attendance at school.
  • contact parents and carers if students are not in school and we haven’t been informed of the reason.
  • follow-up unexplained absences.
  • contact parents by letter, phone call and meetings if a student’s attendance drops below the national and school target.
  • work with third parties to support students and parents.
  • refer persistent absence (attendance falling below 90%) to the Local Authority when school led interventions have not improved unauthorised attendances. Unauthorised absences can lead to statutory intervention.
  • refuse to authorise requests for leave of absence unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Illness:

If your child is too unwell to attend school please contact us before 8.30 a.m. and keep us informed if the absence continues. A child should not be well enough to leave the house (apart from medical appointments) if he or she is too ill to come to school.

To report an absence Telephone 0191 5161600 – choose Option 1.

Seaham High School wishes to ensure that students with medical conditions receive appropriate care and support at school. If your child has a medical condition please keep the school informed.

If you are asked to provide medical evidence for illness or appointments please send copies of appointment cards, letters or other relevant information into school.

Coronavirus:

If your child has symptoms of coronavirus, please get a test and stay at home. This also applies if a member of the household has symptoms.

Please inform the school as soon as possible of test results.

Appointments:

It is always best if appointments can take place before or after school. However, we understand at times it may be necessary for a student to attend a medical or dental appointment during school hours. In these circumstances we encourage a student to come into school to get their present mark before leaving for their appointment, returning to school afterwards wherever possible. Appointment details or cards should be brought to school so that students can receive authorisation to be out of school and for the absence to be marked appropriately on the register.

Punctuality:

Students must arrive at school on time. A late mark is given after 0845 and a 20-minute brunch detention is given to be completed on the same day.

Holidays in term time / Leave of Absence:

Head teachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Requests for leave of absence should be made in writing, prior to the absence, to the Head Teacher using the LOA request form. A LOA request form is published on the website and copies are available from the school office.

Parents and carers must inform the school if they are taking a term-time holiday so that the school is aware of the reason for the student’s absence. Sustained unauthorised absences without contact with the school is a safeguarding concern.

Taking unauthorised leave during term time could result in Formal Warnings or a Fixed Penalty Notice.

Contacting school:

We recognise the importance of communicating and involving parents and carers if a student’s attendance becomes a concern, and we ask parents and carers to involve the school at the earliest point if there are concerns about a student.

Telephone 0191 5161600 and speak to the Year Manager.